Safety attachment for skis



Aug. 3, 1965 R. RoSsELLAT 3,198,536

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR SKIS Filed Maren 2s, 1,963

IN VE N TUR Rene ROSSELLAT A TTORNEY United States Patent 3,198,536 SAFETY A'ITACHMENT FR SKIS c Ren Rossellat, Tartegnin, Vaud, Switzerland, assignor to Gisele Rossellat-Ray, Tartegnin, Vaud, Switzerland Filed Mar. 28, 1963, Ser. No. 268,639

4 Claims. (Cl. 280-11.35)

The present invention relates .to a safety attachment for skis. This attachment is characterized by the fact that it comprises, in combination, on the one hand a heel-piece fixed to the ski as to'be able to move slowly in a direction perpendicular to the latter and on the other hand a stop element for the toe of the boot, rotatably mounted on a pivot-pin perpendicular to the plane of the ski and subjected to .the action of -a resilient device which tends to maintain it in Vthe axis of the latter, the said pivot-pin being mounted on a support sliding longitudinally on .the Vski and subjected to a flexible knuckle-joint tension device, provided with a control lever which permits of pressing .the'said stop element against the boot bearing on the said heel-piece.

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example, one embodiment of the object of the invention.

FIG. 1 is aview in elevation of a safety attachment for skis, provided with a boot.

FIG- 2 is a plan View, the boot being removed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section of a detail to an enlarged scale, along line III- III of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section of a detail to an enlarged scale, along line IV-IV of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a prole View, partly in cross-section, of the heel-piece.

The attachment shown comprises a heel-piece including a base 1 secured to the ski 2. This base is provided with two columns 1a (FIG. 5) perpendicular `to the plane of the ski on which slides the body of theV heel-piece. Each column 1a surrounds a coil-spring 4 be-aring on an inner end shoulder 1b of the column and on a nut 5 carried by a threaded rod 6 provided with a control head 6a. This control head bears on the upper surface of the body 3 of the heel-piece. By screwing more lor less the heads 6a one varies the tension of the springs 4, each nut 5 being prevented from rotating by engagement with the inner wall of the respective column 1a, which has a non circular shape. The springs 4 thus tend to maintain the body 3 against the base. The heel-piece finally includes a rib 7, in .the shape of an arc of a circle (IFIG. 4) of semi-circular straight cross-section, designed to engage in the groove 8 in the heel of a boot 9.

This rib 7 is provided, on its rear face, with flutes 10 engaging flutes 11 on the body 3 which permits of adjusting the height of the rib relative .to the latter; a screw 12 serves to lock these two elements together. Thus, the height of the rib 7 may be adapted to :the height of the groove in the boot,

The attachment shown further comprises a stop element 13 for the front end of the boot. This stop element is provided with a uted portion 14 (FIG. 3) bearing against the toe of the boot. It is mounted rotatably on a pivot-pin 215 itself screwed on a threaded rod 16. This latter, extending perpendicularly to the plane of ythe ski, is carried by a plate 17 sliding longitudinally on the ski, between the side rims 18a of a slide 18 screwed on the ski. By screwing more or less the pivot-pin on the threaded rod 16, one varies the height of the stop element 13 relative to the ski.

The pivot-pin 15 is integral with a flexible strip 15a the end of which is secured to the plate 17 by a screw 19, thus preventing ythe pivot-pin 15 from rotating inopportunely.

A radial hole 20 is bored through the stop element 3,198,536 Patented Aug. 3,' 1965 ICC 13, a ball 21 and a spring 22 acting thereon being housed in the said hole. A screw 23 permits of adjusting the tension of this spring. The pivot-pin 15 has a hole 24 bored therethrough in which the ball 21 partly penetrates thus ensuring the stability of the stop element 13 when it is located in the axis of the ski. It the boot exerts a lateral thrust thereon exceeding a definite amount, for example in the case of a fall of the skier, the stop element 13 rotates about the pivot-pin 15, the ba1l'21 moving in opposition .to the .spring 22, thus freeing the 'boot and avoiding the risk of an accident through twisting of the foot. A tension device is provided to move the stop element 13 in the direction of fthe heel-piece 3 and vthus tighten the :boot 9 in the attachment. This tension device comprises a lever 25 one end of which is hinged at 26 to a lug 27 on the sliding plate 17. This lever 25 is further hinged to one end of a link 28, the other end of which pivots on a sliding block 29 mounted in the slide 18.v l

The block 29 has a housing with an open end permit-k ting the passage of one end of a spring 30 which is fixed at its `other end to the ski 2 through the agency of a screw 31 passing through a hole in the slide 18. The front end of the spring 3d carries a nut 32 in which engages a screw 3-3 passing through a bore in the block 29. This screw 33 is provided with a knurled head 34 which permits of adjusting the tension of the spring 30 when the attachment is in the operative position.

The lever 25 constitutes, with the link 28, a kn'uckle, joint.` When the lever 25 is lowered from the position shown in FIG. 3 in order to 4bring it into the position shown in FIG. l, `a movement of the stop element 13 is ybrought about in the direction of the heel-piece. When the stop element 13 abuts the toe of the boot 9 it be` comes stationary and lby continuing to lower the lever 25 `a movement of the block 29 is produced towards the front of the ski, against the acti-on of the spring 30 which tautens.

It is to 4be noted that in the case of exaggerated stresses -of the boot in the longitudinal median plane of the ski, as well forwards as backwards, the stop element 13 moves forwardly against the action of the spring 30 and permits the boot to lbe freed.

In the case of a forward fall, the rib 7 of the heelpiece 3 frees itself from the groove S of the heel, during a movement of the boot forwards, against the action of the spring 30.

In the case of a backward fall, the toe of the boot, acting on the inclined plane 14 of the stop element 13 moves the latter forwardly, against the action of the spring 3i) thus releasing the boot from the attachment.

A strap 35 (FIG, 1) is fixed to the heel-piece and surrounds the boot in order to avoid a total loss of Ithe ski when the boot is released from the attachment.

I claim: Y

1. A safety attachment for skis comprising a base plate, a holding member having an arcuate portion designed to engage an arcuate groove in the heel of a ski boot, said `arcuate portion `being substantially parallel to said .base plate, guide means permitting said holding member t-o move toward and away from said base plate while maintaining said .arcuate portion in a. position substantially parallel to said 'base plate, means for biasing said arcuate portion in the direction of said base plate and means for pushing the front end of the boot rearwardly so as to engage the heel against said holding member, said means for pushing the front end of the boot rearwardly comprising a slide adapted to be fixed .to the ski, a member slidably mounted on said slide, a lever hinged at one end thereof to said sliding member, a lrblock slidably mounted in said slide, at least one link annesse 3 hinged at one end thereof to said lever and at the other end thereof to said block, a spring disposed in said slide for biasing said block in .the direction of said holding member, a threaded rod disposed perpendicular to the surface of the ski and secured to said sliding member, a

threaded sleeve engageab-le with said rod, means for maintaining said sleeve in position, a supporting member.

pivotally mounted on said sleeve and provided with a bore therein, a ball and a spring being housed in said bore, said sleeve having a housing therein disposed opposite said bore so that said ball is biased by said spring into said housing, means for adjustingy the tension of said spring, said supporting member being disposed to cooperate with the front of the boot so as to move the same rearwardly, said supporting member having a bearing surface thereon inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of rsaid threaded rod Vand approaching said axis in the direction of said slide.

2. A safety attachment for skis, as defined in claim 1, furthe-r comprising a nut integral with one end of said spring disposed in said slide, a screw engaged in said nut and passing through a bore in said yblock and the head of said screw bearing against a yface of said blocik.

3. A safety attachment for skis, comprising ,a heel retaining member, means for securing said retaining member in a preselected longitudinal position on a ski, a slide secured to the ski forwardly of said heel retaining member, support means slidably mounted in said slide, .a lstop element pivotally mounted on said support means, resilient means for maintaining said stop element in a predetermined angular position lon said support means, spring means for releasably engaging said stop element with the toe portion of a ski boot and for simultaneously releasably engaging the heel portion of the ski boot with said heel retaining member, said stop element comprising a convexly arcuate tapering iboot bearing surface and an outwardly extending convex lip disposed completely 4about* said boot bearing surface in continuously overhanging relation thereto, whereby the tapering inclination of said boot bearing surface is directed towards said support means.

4. A safety attachment for skis, comprising a hec-l retaining member, means for securing said heel retaining member in a preselected longitudinal position on a ski, a slide secured t-o the ski forwardly of said heel retaining member, vertically disposed support means slidably mounted in said slide, `a stop element pivotally mounted on said support means, means mounted on said stop element and being disposed in cooperating engagement with said support means for selectively maintaining said stop element in a predetermined angular position on said support means, spring means `for releasably engaging said stop :e1-ement with the toe portion of a ski boot and for simultaneously releasably engaging the heel portion of the ski boot with said heel retaining member, said Stop element comprising a convexly arcuate tapering boot bearing surface and an outwardly extending convex lip disposed completely about said boot bearing surface in continuously overhanging relation thereto, whereby the tapering inclination of said boot lbearing surface is directed towards said support means.

VReferences Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,661,957 12/53 Attenhofer ZBO-'11.35 2,836,428 5/,5-8 Marker 2SC- 11.35 2,858,137 10/58 Marker 280-1l.35 2,899,211 8/59 Salomon 280-11.35 2,950,119 8/60 Gerbruch 2SC-11.35 3,079,164 2/63 De Place ZBO-11.35

FOREIGN PATENTS 331,880 9/58 Switzerland.

349,911 12/ 60 Switzerland.

584,108 -10/58 Italy. 1,192,576 4/59 France. 1,229,272 3/6() France., 1,290,975 3/ 62 France.

' A. HARRY LEVY, Primary Examiner. 

